Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 vs Nexus 9: What to Know

Design

These tablets both represent the best build quality and design from each manufacturer, but Samsung has a leg up. The Nexus 9 has an aluminum ring around the sides for a premium feel and added durability, but a soft-touch matte back on the rear. It was flimsy at times, and while it feels nice, there is something about it that just doesn't let it feel like a premium tablet.

Samsung on the other hand, has a very sturdy, durable, premium tablet in the Galaxy Tab S, and the new Tab S2.

They’re also the lightest tablets in each respective size category being lighter than the iPad Mini 3 and the new Air. That being 265g for the 8-inch model and 389g for the 9.7-inch variant. Samsung kept the same aluminum design, added a better fingerprint scanner, and tossed in the powerful 8-core Samsung Exynos processor.

And once again, as we mentioned earlier both of these tablets look nothing like almost any other Android tablet you've probably owned. They have a 4:3 aspect ratio where they aren't as long. Instead they're slightly wider and shorter. It's the same design Apple has used for years, and was fist implemented on an Android tablet by Google with the Nexus 9, and now Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2.